The Prayer of Faith

The book of Enos in the Book of Mormon is well-known for its story about the prayer of Enos. We see Enos praying fervently to come to know the Lord, and once he received an answer to his all-day and all-night prayer, he continued with further supplications to the Lord. He prayed for his brethren the Lamanites, and he pled with the Lord to preserve their records for future generations. A form of the word “pray” occurs three times in the chapter and “cry” or “cried” occurs four times in the chapter, with all of those references describing how Enos prayed. And yet I realized that there is another theme in this chapter as equally as important as prayer. The references to prayer are always accompanied with an emphasis on faith, a word used ten times in the chapter. The prayers of Enos were always answered through his faith. After he first received an answer from the Lord to his supplications, he asked how it was done and he received this answer: “Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen…. Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole” (v8). After he received an answer to his petition concerning the Lamanites, Enos recorded, “And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith began to be unshaken in the Lord” (v11). He continued praying for his brethren and the Lord spoke these words to him: “I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith” (v12). It wasn’t just the prayer that got him an answer to his petitions; it was the faith that he had in the Lord. The Lord promised him, “Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it” (v15). There is no real prayer without faith—Enos showed the power of the prayer of faith. He said of himself, “And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records” (v16). It was because of his faith that he prayed, and it was because of his faith that he received answers to those prayers. The Lord further told Enos that his fathers—presumably Jacob, Nephi, and Lehi—also had prayed to Him in faith to preserve their records: “Thy fathers have also required of me this thing; and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine” (v18).

                We see the power of this faith that these Nephite prophets, including Enos, had when they prayed in the Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord said, “And, behold, all the remainder of this work does contain all those parts of my gospel which my holy prophets, yea, and also my disciples, desired in their prayers should come forth unto this people. And I said unto them, that it should be granted unto them according to their faith in their prayers; Yea, and this was their faith—that my gospel, which I gave unto them that they might preach in their days, might come unto their brethren the Lamanites, and also all that had become Lamanites because of their dissensions. Now, this is not all—their faith in their prayers was that this gospel should be made known also, if it were possible that other nations should possess this land; And thus they did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life; Yea, that it might be free unto all of whatsoever nation, kindred, tongue, or people they may be. And now, behold, according to their faith in their prayers will I bring this part of my gospel to the knowledge of my people” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:46-52). It was their faith in their prayers that caused this powerful work of scripture to be preserved and brough forth in the last days. The Lord was honoring the faithful prayers of prophets from millennia before when He caused the Book of Mormon to come forth in the 1800s. This is a powerful reminder to us of the miracles that the Lord can perform in our lives—in His time—when we truly ask in faith. He promised in our dispensation, “And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:14). In another section He promised Joseph Smith and others, “It shall be given them even according to the prayer of faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:52). Later as the early leaders sought a specific blessing from the Lord He promised it on this condition: “And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 104:79). We obtain blessings from the Lord not with casual prayer but the fervent prayer of faith, believing the He can and will bless us in His time. Enos and the other Nephite prophets were powerful examples to us of what we can accomplish through persistent prayer and unfailing faith in the Jesus Christ.